ComplaintsforDave's Auto Center

• Initial Complaint

  09/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I had taken my truck to Dave’s Auto because a something was shorting out my PCM which is the main computer of the vehicle. I had a replacement computer in the back seat that had been flashed to my vin number. They said that the battery cables were bad and needed replaced before they could diagnose it so I gave them the ok to do that. They said that it would be $3800 to replace the cables and diagnose the problem. They had quoted a price for the cables ant around $1200 and then bumped it another $400 because they couldn’t find any OEM and had to build them from scratch. They replaced the cables then told me it would be an additional to a total of $11,482 to replace the PCM and the TIPM and then go from there. I told them that the TIPM was new and again asked them to install the PCM that was in the back seat so they could trouble shoot. “I was told by another mechanic that the short was taking out some of the memory of the PCM which made it so you couldn’t diagnose the problem.” They refused to install the one I had to do that. I paid the bill so I could get my truck out of there, took it home on a trailer. Replaced the PCM with the one I had in the back seat and drove it off the trailer. Before replacing the PCM the truck wouldn’t even turn over or attempt to start. It still has some codes that need to be addressed. My contention is they were not able to diagnose the issue without replacing the PCM, and it just so happened I had one in the back seat that they refused to install. Which by the way took me 40 minutes. They charged me $4500 to replace the battery cables and diagnose the problem. I paid them $2100 that I am not disputing for the cables replacement that they quoted at around $1600. I spoke to a representative and his response was he didn’t have the authority and I said find someone who does. I didn’t get any response. I then replied with a text to their questionnaire about there service and got no response.

• Initial Complaint

  06/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I paid $260.00 dollars for a diagnosis of a head gasket or a head crack on my 1988 dodge 250 pick up truck. They didn’t diagnose it. They just decided it needed an engine overhaul for 12,000 dollars. I’ve been a mechanic for 53 years and I know my truck with only 64000 miles doesn’t need an engine overhaul. Besides I just need to know if it’s a head gasket or a crack in the head.

• Initial Complaint

  12/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Nov 21, 2022 I called ****'s for a quote. Was told next day service, if all went well, $500. The next day I dropped my *** (my sole residence) expecting to get it back that evening. That afternoon, they called about a small issue that would add $300 to fix. I approved it & was told to come get my vehicle. When I arrived, the owner got involved for the 1st time, ushering me to the back and in a condescending, yet caring voice delivers terrible news. He is unable to put the #3 glow plug back in because the hole had been destroyed. I am familiar with this, requiring removal of the intake manifold. He tells me that the labor cost for that will be $2750. I told him I had been quoted before for this same job, as it was an optional one... and that his price now was double the price of labor. I asked him to tell me how many hours or the hourly rate that would be applied. I asked for this information from 3 different staff including the owner and no one would tell me. The owner raised his voice at me when I told him that number to be inaccurate and unfair. I told him I felt intimidated and he inappropriately stepped closer to me. I yelled at him for this and he backed up. I had a panic attack at this point. I told them I should have been made aware beforehand of the possibility that they could charge $3100 in labor for this job, I would have taken the *** to one of the other companies that had quoted (an extra $1200 if we have to remove the manifold). Since all my glow plugs had metal in their grooves, ****'s shop certainly should have called for my approval BEFORE taking out #2-5 glow plugs when the first one proved the problem that required manifold removal (for the harder to reach ones). Instead they sandbagged this news, got me in deeper, and forced my hand. The invoice doesn't show hours spent on labor for the $2750 upcharge. I think they owe me $1550 for that alone. They project upstanding, gentle, trustworthiness, but then did not deliver to those standards.

  Business response

  12/20/2022

  we spent a lot of extra time to explain why her 20 year old van with 195 k miles had unforseen issues with the striped hole for the #3 glow plug. she was given and option that was less costly to just reinstall the old plug back in the head without fixing the threads in the hole that was stripped. she declined and authorized the repairs and the full quote with her signature. We regret because she authorized the repairs no refund is due.  Thanks 

• Initial Complaint

  01/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I brought my van to ****** because it broke down in ********* (I'm from out of town). After sitting on his lot with no one looking at it for a full week, **** calls me at 5:00 on Wednesday telling me that the parts department for ********* where they have to order the parts from, is closed indefinitely and that I had to pay him a $2,000 deposit for work that he had no estimate on delivery date or he would impound my car and that I had to tell him before the shop closes at 5:30. I call around to other mechanics and dealerships to find that the parts department is still open and running, so I order a tow truck to pick up the van to be brought to one of the other mechanics. When the tow gets to ******, he comes up with additional bogus charges that I supposedly owe (even though no work had been done on my van). I tell him fine and that I will pay over the phone with my credit card. He gets mad at me for asking what the charges are for, tells me he now only accepts cash (just for my case, not the shop policy), hangs up, and tells the tow truck driver that he is trespassing and needs to leave. I show up with a second tow truck driver and a police officer to ensure that **** would no longer hold my car ****** where he makes me pay $220 for services not rendered. This, in addition to the tow truck he sent away, costs me upwards of $420 and is unwarranted.

  Business response

  01/14/2022

  his van was towed here at his request on 1.6.22  with a locked steering column and no start, we told him at that time we were booked out over a week but would try and get to it asap. we called him on the 1.11.22 at ****pm and received his authorization for ****** to repair his issue. on the 12th we informed him that the key and programing department for ******** was temporally closed without further notice. We also advise him at that time that the parts needed to repair his van had to be prepaid and could not be returned, being new keys to program to the vin and software,  we also sent him a screen shot of that notice. we reminded him of our policy of storage and he cried extortion. we again, told him to review the invoice he signed and authorized on 1.6.22. were it clearly states our storage fee policy. The only charges he incurred are for work we performed and authorized. We can provide email of authorization and credit card authorization so no refund is due. 

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